President Donald Trump hosted the Washington Nationals on Monday to honor them for their World Series title, and the visit was not without some controversy.
How many members of the team would even attend the ceremony was a question. Eight Nationals did not make the White House visit, including Anthony Rendon. With the exception of closer Sean Doolittle, who explained why he was skipping the visit, no reason was given for their absences.
The most notable moment of the ceremony itself came when catcher Kurt Suzuki donned one of the Trump campaign’s well-known Make America Great Again hats, to Trump’s surprise and delight.
"I love you all! Thank you!"
Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki walks up to a microphone outside the White House and whips out a #MAGA hat.
Check out @realDonaldTrump's reaction: pic.twitter.com/PdR8wFnfN8
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) November 4, 2019
Suzuki’s decision to wear one of Trump’s campaign hats — a divisive symbol to say the least — earned both praise and scorn online, and was a major talking point of the visit.
Considering the reception Trump got when attending Game 5 in Washington, it will likely prove an unpopular decision with a significant part of the team’s own fanbase.
Also see: Stephen Strasburg says he did not snub Trump on handshake.
